UK drivers heading to France this summer are in the dark about new roadside cameras and a range of French driving rules, says RAC Europe . As families gear up for the summer getaway, six-in-10 drivers who take their own cars or motorbikes abroad (63%) are not aware tailgating is illegal in France, as it is in the UK. While half (49%) do not know that the only legal way of using a handheld mobile … [Read more...]
Illegal mobile-phone use is rising, says RAC
After a fall in the proportion of drivers admitting to using a handheld phone while driving in 2017 following the introduction of tougher penalties, RAC figures show the problem is actually worsening – and illegal use among some groups has rocketed. Across all age groups, a quarter (25%) of drivers – the equivalent of 10m people – admit to illegally making or receiving calls while driving, … [Read more...]
Tradelines 20 March
More than half of van drivers admitted to making calls behind the wheel without using a hands-free device, according to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Van drivers spend an average of 35 minutes on the phone each day in their vehicles, making an average of seven calls a day and one in 10 spend two hours on the phone while driving. Mercedes-Benz is relanching its prestige Maybach … [Read more...]
A third of drivers break law on phones
GoCompare Car Insurance has revealed that 34% of drivers use their mobile phone illegally while in their car, with the figure rising to a shocking 58% of 18-24 year old drivers. The research reveals that more drivers are tempted to use their phone while waiting in traffic, with the number of drivers using their phone behind the wheel reducing to 25% while actually moving. However, the … [Read more...]
Welsh drivers most likely to be on phones
Welsh drivers have Britain’s worst phone-fixation. One in five Welsh drivers told pollsters they regularly check or use their mobile while driving, and the Scots are only a bumper behind. A survey for Select Car Leasing also revealed that despite the well-publicised threat of six penalty points and a £200 fine, a variety of phone-related offences continue, including 1 in 7 checking mobile … [Read more...]
Mobile phone law-breakers getting the message
Harsher punishments for using a mobile phone behind the wheel seems to have scared drivers in Wales, as the number of offenders has dropped 40% in a year. This is following the introduction of harsher penalties for the offence, which doubled to £200 and six penalty points in March 2017. The number of FPNs issued to drivers in Wales dropped to 1,567 in 2017 according to new figures obtained … [Read more...]
UK drivers ignoring high fines for mobile phone use
The UK has some of the highest fines for using hand-held mobile phones in Europe but even so many UK motorists remain undeterred with almost 12,000 drivers a year still being prosecuted for the offence, IAM RoadSmart has discovered. In spite of the possibility of a £200 fine and six driving licence points, figures published by the Ministry of Justice show the number of offenders convicted of … [Read more...]
Learners’ ignorance of ‘phone law is worrying
Global pioneer of telematics-based car insurance insurethebox is asking whether learner drivers facing the new Driving Test launched on 4 December 2017 understand the rules for in-car mobile phone use. For the first time, the test now includes taking instructions from satnav. It found that nearly 1 in 5 (18.38%) of drivers admitted to using their phone for getting directions while driving – … [Read more...]
Keeping-up social media behind the wheel is deadly
IAM RoadSmart’s third annual Safety Culture Survey has found that for the third year running their biggest worries are people updating social media or sending text messages while driving. Drivers checking social media is the biggest single perceived threat that road users feel – slightly higher than those who text and email, and closely followed by drink and drug drivers. The survey of … [Read more...]
Newslines 5 December
Petrol and diesel rose by more than 2p a litre in November taking the average price of both fuels to their most expensive for three years, new RAC Fuel Watch data shows. A litre of unleaded went up from 118.43p to 120.78p (2.35p) and diesel from 120.96p to 123.18p (2.22p) as a result of oil spending the whole month above the $60 a barrel mark and the cost of filling a 55-litre family car with … [Read more...]